Razor stropping machine



Jan. 19, 1932. F. H. BORM RAZQR sTRoPPING MACHINE Filed Dec'. 10, 1926 2Sheets-Sheet l W26 @ad Jan. 19, 1932. F. H. BORM RAZOR STROPPING MACHINEFiled Dec. .10, 1926 2 Shets-Sheet 2 jz/erzzff 27e/2175226272627 I 50mPatented Jan. 1 9, 1 932 y 1 ,7

y UNITI-:D sTAres PATENT orifice FERDINAND H. BORM, F CHICAGO, ILLINOISRAZOR STROPPING MACHINE Application led December 10, 1926. Serial No.153,746.

This invention relates to improvements in Fig. 2 is a transverse sectiontherethrough the art of abrading mechanism, and more taken on the planeindicated by line 2 2 of particularly to apparatus for sharpening Fig.l, parts being seen in elevation. edge tools and especially razorblades. Fig. 2a. is a fragmentary section of parts 5 The primarv objectis the-effective sharpenas seen in Fig. 2 but illustrating an exagger-55 ing of such tools Without injury thereto and ated distortion oftheblade and its effect on regardless of variations and irregularities thedrum. *Y such as usually exist incident to slight de- Fig. 3 is a viewin side eleva-tion of one of iections or other out-of-alignmentconditions the abrader drums detached.

lO Ofguch edges, Fig. t is an end elevation thereof looking te A moredetailed object is the rectifying of from the right hand end as seen inF ig.` 3. the location and condition of the serrations Fig. 5 is aperspective view of the inner or teeth making up a cutting edge withoutClamping plate and stabilizer detached.

danger of breaking such serrations, or tear- Fig. 6 is a similar view ofthe supporting ing, distorting, or otherwise injuring the mashell of oneof the abraders detached. C5

terial of the blade along the line of such ser- Fig. 7 is a similar viewof the outer clamprations. ing plate.

A still more detailed object is the provi- Fig. 8 is a transversesection through a sion of a burnishing or abrading surface susmodifiedform of abrader. 2G tained by a hard and stable sub-support Which Fig. 9is a side elevation of the shell porstill possesses a capacity offlexing suiiiciently tion of the structure seen in Fig. 8, detached,freely to enable the edge of a razor blade or intermediate portion beingbroken away for other edged tool to lind contact with the the saving ofspace. Y abrading surface Without either excessive Fig. 10 is a detailedfragmentary section flexing of the edge or depression thereof into 0fparts seen in Fig. 9, the parts being shown 75 the engaged surface. 011an exaggerated scale. WT ith these and other objects in view, as will Itshould be understood by those familiar' in part hereinafter be statedand in part be- With the art to Which the present invention comeapparent, the invention comprises a pertains, that edges of edged toolshowever burnishing or abrading surface and a flexible fine and perfectappears under a microscope so support therefor constructed to allow thesuras a line of irregular savv teeth or serrations, face to give priorto any injurious deflecting and, in the forming of especially line'edges of the blade edge but not to flex ina manner such as requiredforrazor blades and the like, to produce or endanger embedding of theparticular care is exercised to utilize mateedge in the burnishing orabrading surface. rial for the edge and to so treat it in the S5 Theinvention further comprises i a hard, sharpening process as to avoid asfaras posrigid support capable of maintaining its nor- Sible anycracking or opening of the material mal contour under usual stresses butsuirearward ofthe valleys between the teeth. ciently liexible to giveunder a stress some- Any such cracking largely destroysthe supl- 40 whatless than that necessary to injuriously port for the teeth and thereforepermits the f90 flex a portion of the edge of a blade. teeth to morereadily bend'or othervviseflex 1 The invention alsocomprises certainother permanently Out of alignment. It is undernovel constructions,combinations, and arstood of course that Whether the material of irangements ofparts as will be hereinafter the edge is flawed rearwardofthe teeth val,- 4" specified and subsequently pointed out in the leysor not, any substantial permanent de- `95 appended claim. flection ofthe teeth from alignment,.results In the a compa-nying drawings in a.chilled edge, and cracks or flaws, though Fig. 1 is a plan view of astropping mamicroscopic,thus increase the ease with which chineembodyingy the features of the present an edge may be chilled. Excessiveor repeat invention. ed deflecting of the teeth in an effort to bring.lfm

them into alignment or otherwise sharpen them frequently results incrystallization along the line of flexing, and the teeth break off andleave a nicked edge. It frequently occurs in the formation of edgedtools, especially razor blades, that the degree of precision in theapproximation of the edge to a straight line is not very high. Someblades are flexed toward one end portion, others toward another, andstill others more or less bowed or otherwise out of perfect line. Suchirregularities are usually not great enough to be readily perceived bythe naked eye but when the blade is laid against an abrading orpolishing surface, a certain amount of stress must be exerted on onerelative tothe father to cause all parts of the edge to simultaneouslycontact with the surface. If the Bliment is sufiiciently accurate toenable Suc Contact with sufficiently limited stress en the teeth of theedge little if any harm will be done, but beyond a certain point ofdeleeting to reach contact with the abrading surface the strain would besufficiently great to eause or tend to cause the forming of the objectfiaws or cracks extending inward from the valleys between the teeth witha resulting permanent injury to the blade. It is a primary object of thepresent invention to enable efectiva sharpening of blades without dangerof any such injurious results, and for the purpose of convenience, theterm abrade will be utilized hereinafter to signify any action destinedto or intended for the restoration 0f a dulled blade to a sharpenedcondition, it being understood that the term burnishing herein employedis only distinguished in degree from abrading, and in many instances thesharpening is affected without actual abrading or removal of materialfrom the edge of the blade, the sharpening-action in such casecomprising merely the restoration of the teeth of the edge to a cleanedvand aligned condition. Therefore, in the appended claims, theterminology should beinterpreted kto include this formi of sharpeningeven though the term abrade be utilized to describe the actions.

.Referring to the drawings by the numerals, Lindicates a frame orhousing in which are jonrnaled the abraders designated generally by thereference numeral 2, and each comprising@ drum provided with a terminalpinion 3 meshing with the rpinion ofthe other drum cndfsolocated as toeffect successive buiing, hurnshing or abrading action on the bladetoibe sharpened. Any appropriate actuator, sllehas erank4, is connectedto the extended shaft '5 of one of the drums 2 so that the drumsmay berevolved manually. Pendant lips 6-6 formed integral with orapproximately fixed to the housing of frame 1, near the opposite endsthereof, form supports and guides for the blade 7 for retaining itrigidly xn place during the sharpening operation.

industrial art.

The blade 7, as illustrated, is of the wafer type provided with a.single cutting edge and a stifi'ening back at the opposite edge, but ofcourse it should be understood that any type of blade may be effectivelytreated by an embodiment of the present invention, suitable supportingand shifting ap aratus being employed as is well known in tlifisparticular The blade holder 6 and forni of the frame 1 may be modifiedto any extent weil Within the intent and purpose of the presentinvention, and it should be further understood that, while the abradingdrums are shown as of a peculiar contourhereinafter to be described ingreater detail so that during revolution one abrading surface contactswith the edged portion to be acted u on While the other is out ofContact therewit 1 and the latter brought into contact after the formerhas left contact and so on alternately, the invention is well adaptedfor apparatus in which the abrading action occurs otherwise than asstated.

Referring more particularly to the buffing, burnishing, or abradingdrums 2, each being a duplicate of the other, one only will be describedin detail. A sub-support or backing tubular plate or shell 8, preferablyof metal, is arranged to form a substantially solid, hard support forthe abrading material 9 which is usually of leather but of course may beof any suitable and appropriate material and provided in the forln of astrip, wrapped about and snugly fitted on the exterior surface on theshell 8. The shell 8 is preferably formed of relatively thin sheetmetal, such as brass, but may be iliade of any other material capable ofthe functions herein set forth for this element of the structure such,for example, as insulating fibre or material having a cellulose base.The shell 8 must afford a hard and subtantial support for the abradingmaterial 9, and yet be capable of flexing under that degree of pressure,a reasonable latitude of safety being provided, represented by thecapacity of the edge of the blade 7 to fiex without danger ofcrystallization or other injury, so as to enable the abrading surface 9to stroke all parts of the edge of the blade despite irregularities inthe alignment of such edge. In Fig. 2a there is illustrated anexaggerated distortion of the blade 7 seen at 7, which requires theflexing, at 8', of the shell 8. The exaggeration is necessary forpurposes of clear illustration since the usual extent of flexing isordinarily so slight as to be diflicult of observation with the nakedeye. The shell 8 is parti-cylindrical, that portion carrying theabrading material 9 which is to contact with the blade beingtransversely struck on the arc of a circle described from the axis ofthe drum 2 as its center. It will be apparent that the extent of thecurved surface on said circle is capable of a wide range of variation,and I prefer to utilize substantially all of the area or approximatelyall of the area on the curve of said circle which is oapable of actingagainst the blade being sharpened While the other drum is out of contacttherewith so that there will be a minimum of interim between the timeone abrader leaves contact with ,one side of the blade and the otherabra-der reaches contact With the other side thereof. It will be readilyunderstood that the fact that the shell 8 is made of material affordingstabilized flexibility Will be largely negatived if the end portions ofthe shell 8 were rigidly held against flexing. Hence, in making up theabrading drum, those parts of the end portions of the drum Which areliable to require flexing are not anchored to the heads of thedrum.hereinafter to be described, but are left free to flex throughoutthat portieri corresponding Vith the parts of surface 9 positioned forand capable of engaging the edge of blade 7 The shell 8 is made up of acurved sheet of material Whose longitudinal edges are preferably spacedand provided With interned, anchoring tabs 10, and, When the shell isassembled as a part of the abrading drum, an inner supporting andclamping plate 11 is arranged Within the shell, and an outer clampingplate 12 is disposed exterior-ly of the shell along the line of theopening between the edges of the shell and overlapping parts of the bodyof the shell. The plate 11 is provided with slots 13 through which thetabs 10 are extended, and, in the completed drum, are clenched asclearly seen in Fig. 2. The plate 11 is provided with a flat basethrough which the slots 13 are formed, and, along the edges of the flatbase, the plate is bent at each side to form inclined side sections orWings ld-lh each terminating in a flattened edged portion 15 disposed torest against and support the shell 8. 1Wings 14: are thereforestabilizing braces tending to limit flexing of those portions of theshell 8 beyond the areas of the surface 9 capable of contact with theedge of the blade 7. T he braces le also aid in preventing any tendencytoward a permanent distortion of parts of the shell S. The leather stripor other abrading material 9 is preferably stretched tightly upon orotherwise caused to snugly enclose and engage the shell S, the terminalportions of the strip 9 lying between the exterior clamping plate 12 andthe shell 8, as clearly seen in Fig. 2. The clamping plate 12 issusceptible of a Wide range of variation, but, as seen in the drawings,consists of a substantially flat plate formed with inclined edgedportions 16--16 terminating in serrated edges 17-17 set substantially atright angles to the sides of the body of the plate 12 so as to enter andeffectively grip the strip 9 for prevent- -ing the possible slipping orloosening thereof. The body of the plate 12 is also provided withstamped-up penetrating tabs or points 18-18 entering the material ofstrip 9 for further resisting movement thereof independently of theshell 8. The tabs 18 may be -of any desired form, number, andarrangement but are preferably disposed, as'clearly seen in Fig. 2, insuch angular or inclined relation to the plate 12 as to best resist anywithdrawing stresses on the strip 9 relative to the clamping plate 12.The clamping plates 11 and 12 are firmly and effectively securedtogether in any acceptable and appropriate manner. One method of suchfastening consists in t ie employment of tubular rivets or eyelets 19extending through apertures 24-24 in the f plates 11 and 12. As manysuch eyelets may be employed as found desirable. l have illustrated theuse of only two but a greater number under some conditions may bepreferable.

Extending outnf'ardly from and formed integral with the various parts ofthe plate 11 and its bracing Wings 14 are anchoring tabs 20-20 which inthe-assembled drum serve as the connecting means to the heads of the ldrum. VThe drum is provided at each end with a head 21 of an edgedcontour conforming to the transverse contour of shell 8 after theclamping plates are in place, that is to say each head is parti-circularwith a lattened part corresponding with the flattened part of the shell8, which produces -in effect an eccentric mounting of the drum. Eachread 21 is formed With a series of slots 22, corresponding in number andlocation to the tabs 20, and proportioned to receive the said tabs. rlhetabs 20 extend through the respective slots 22 anda re swaged orotherwise upset, as indicated at 20 in Fig. 4, at the outer face of therespective drum head 21 so as to pinion of the other drum, and extendedshaft 5 also outstands from said journal 23.

1n operation, the crank 4 is revolved after the manner of thefunctioning of any of the Well known types of razor sharpening machines,the blade 7 being in place. The abrading surfaces of the tivo drums arethus caused to successively engage the opposite sides of the edgedportion of the blade 7 and to act upon the same as heretofore stated,the abrading surface 9 flexing with the shell 8, as at 8', whenrequired, but maintaining its normal contour at all other times. Nocondition of any average blade 7 Will be such as to cause the edgedportion thereof to enter or imbed 0 itself in the material of thesurface 9 because of the hard, resisting character of the subsu portprovided in the shell 8.

n Figures 8 and 9 I have illustrated 011e modified embodiment relatingmore particularly to the construction of the supporting shell. In thisembodiment the shell 8a is formed from a coiled spring and preferablyeach helix being flattened to provide a requisite eccentric exteriorsurface of the finished drum. The material employed to produce thecoiled spring making up the shell 8a is preferably of flat springmaterial as seen best in Figure 10. Mounted on the shell 8a is theabrading material 9a and the said shell and the abrading material areclamped by the plates 11a and 12a and the parts are otherwiseconstructed after the .manner above described with respect to the formand details of the abrading drum. Obviously, the shell 8 may be made upof numerous other forms than as seen at 8a while possessingT therequisite capacities above indicated and all Well within the scope andintent of this invention.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the invention ischaracterized in that by the use of an effective embodiment thereof ablade may be sharpened without injury, and by injury is includedweakening, or crystallization, or permanent deflecting of any portion ofthe edge.

lVhat is claimed is:

A device ot the class described comprising, in con'ibination, a housing;a blade holder mounted within said housing; a drum member rotatablymounted within said housing; said drum member composed ot a flexiblecylindrical shell, said shell having a flattened portion; end membersfor said shell having openings thereon, stropping material disposed uponsaid shell; clamping means comprising opposed clamping members, one ol'said members engaging the inner portion of the shell and the othermember engaging the stropping member; lugs on the ends of one of saidclamping members adapted to engage the openings in said end memberswhereby the clamping members, and shell, are secured to said endmembers.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

FERDINAND H. BORM.

